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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28228611">The Twin Annas</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/MattheJ1/pseuds/MattheJ1'>MattheJ1</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Frozen (Disney Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Elsanna - Freeform, Elsannanna, F/F, Post-Canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 16:02:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,719</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28228611</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/MattheJ1/pseuds/MattheJ1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>For years, Elsa has lamented there just wasn't enough Anna to go around. Now, she has more than she knows what to do with.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Anna/Elsa (Disney)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>The Elsanna Collection</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Beside herself</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Simultaneously posted to ffnet: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13761490/1/The-Twin-Annas</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With a yawn and a stretch, Elsa rose from her old bed. The familiar comforts of her room in Arendelle greeted her. Compared to her Northuldran accommodations, the room was a little stuffy, but it still felt like home.</p><p>The light of the morning sun streamed through the window, already high in the sky. Elsa glanced around at its reflections off her crystalline furniture as she stepped out of bed. It was surprising she had managed to sleep so late; then again, she’d had a busy night.</p><p>She hummed dreamily as she slowly walked to her door. As she walked, her nightgown transformed into her day dress. Footwear had been the one part of her wardrobe her powers had struggled to replicate, before she discarded them entirely. She was fully presentable before she even reached the door.</p><p>She’d expected to have the pleasure of waking her sister, but as she entered the hall, she heard a small ruckus from the adjacent room. Suppressing this mildest of disappointments, she chided herself for sleeping so late and resolved to do better on her next visit. She waited patiently in the hall, and in time the door opened.</p><p>Anna emerged after a short while, rubbing her eyes. She was still in her nightgown, and seemed to have made a brief, futile attempt to subdue her hair with a comb before accepting the battle as lost. None of that mattered, as the radiant smile on her face outshone all else. “Good morning, Queen Elsa,” she said, in a faux prim voice as the door closed behind her. “I trust your accommodations were adequate?”</p><p>Elsa grinned. “Indeed, Queen Anna,” she said. “The service has been so kind – why, they treat me like family around here.”</p><p>Anna burst into giggles. Never one to maintain her own theatrics, she dropped them entirely and pulled Elsa in for a hug. “It’s good to have you back,” she said.</p><p>“Good to be back,” Elsa said. “You’re doing a great job running this place.”</p><p>Anna chuckled. “You’d say that even if the castle was on fire,” she said.</p><p>“No, I mean it,” Elsa said. “This place has never looked better.”</p><p>Anna, in no mood to argue, decided to bask in her sister’s praise and embrace.</p><p>Eventually, though, both had to come to an end. Elsa grudgingly stopped her hug, already feeling pangs of remorse at this, the first step in the long process of goodbyes.</p><p>“Are you sure you can't stay for lunch?” Anna asked.</p><p>Elsa shook her head. “Breakfast, at most,” she said. “There’s a territory dispute between two of the earth giants back north. Nothing major yet, but we can't allow it to escalate - I'm sure you understand.”</p><p>Anna nodded sadly. “I’m busy too, I guess. You've seen that stack of papers on my desk.”</p><p>“Believe me, I can commiserate there,” Elsa said. “At least Gale makes it easier to-”</p><p>She stopped mid-sentence. It had been faint, but she had heard a noise behind Anna. Anna began to ask why she had fallen silent, but then did the same herself as it repeated – a creak in the floorboards, inside Anna’s room.</p><p>“Was there a maid in your room?” Elsa whispered urgently.</p><p>Anna shook her head. A shadow fell over the light creeping in under the door.</p><p>Elsa pulled Anna away from the door, then held an arm in front of her. She fixed her eyes on it, anxiety rising.</p><p>
  <em>It could just be Olaf – he’s always sneaking in.</em>
</p><p>Nevertheless, she felt her heart beating like a drum as whoever was behind that door grew closer. The handle turned, and the door creaked open.</p><p>The emerging figure yawned and stretched, her arms reaching up even higher than the top of her frazzled strawberry-blonde bedhead. “Hey, Elsa,” she mumbled, rubbing the sleep from her sea-green eyes. “Who’re you talking to?”</p><p>Elsa’s jaw dropped. So did Anna’s – the Anna standing next to her, at least.</p><p>This new girl blinked a few times, apparently still groggy. “Did you have a good night?” she asked. “I told them to make your room exactly like you used to…”</p><p>She trailed off. She rubbed her eyes again, then stared at the woman next to Elsa. “What…?” Her mouth soon fell open as well.</p><p>The two of them stared at each other, eyes wide. Elsa’s eyes darted back and forth between them. “…Anna?” she said in a trembling voice. Both of them looked at her.</p><p>“What’s going on, Elsa?” the new Anna asked. “Who is that?”</p><p>“I'm Anna!” said the first Anna. “Who are you?”</p><p>“That’s…impossible,” the second Anna said. “I’m Anna.”</p><p>They looked each other up and down. Slowly, then began to walk towards each other. One Anna raised her right arm, the other raised her left.</p><p>“Don't touch her!” Elsa said suddenly, putting her arm in front of the first Anna again. Both Annas jumped backwards, then turned to Elsa for some kind of explanation. “This…this must be some kind of trick,” she said. She studied the both of them, searching for something – anything – to distinguish the two of them. There had to be something. There <em>had </em>to be.</p><p>The first Anna looked even more perplexed – the second looked hurt. “What?” she said. “Elsa, I…I wouldn't try to trick you.”</p><p>“I know you wouldn’t, Anna, I-” She cut herself off. Her mind still racing, she began to back away from both of them.</p><p>
  <em>Is this some kind of dream?</em>
</p><p>She pinched herself – no, this was no dream. So what was she supposed to do?</p><p>When the first Anna had left her room, there had been absolutely nothing about her that was not 100% Anna. Everything she said, all of her mannerisms, the feeling her touch elicited – it was all her. Every fiber of her being was telling her that that was the true Anna. But this second Anna’s behavior was giving her exactly the same feeling. Worse yet, her face showed a hint of betrayal that she had sided with the first Anna over her, and this feeling was now tugging at her heart exactly how it did whenever Anna had been upset at her before. All of her instinct was now telling her that this woman was <em>also </em>Anna. It was a conflict she couldn't possibly resolve – but she had to! This was <em>Anna!</em></p><p>Elsa continued to back away from the two of them, head still swiveling back and forth. Her instincts urged her to protect the one, but also comfort the other, leaving her no choice but to suppress both. The expressions on both Annas’ faces shifted to concern as she backed into the wall. A thin coating of ice spread across it, facilitating her slide down into a huddled crouch.</p><p>“Elsa!”</p><p>It was the one on her left that shouted, but both ran to her, each taking one of her hands in theirs. “Just…stay calm, Elsa,” the left Anna said.</p><p>“We’re going to figure this out, whatever this is,” the right one added.</p><p>Elsa swallowed. She closed her eyes, which were still darting back and forth with seemingly no input from her, and took a deep breath.</p><p>
  <em>Get a hold of yourself! However scared and confused you are right now, the real Anna must be feeling it tenfold! You need to act!</em>
</p><p>She stood bolt upright, startling both Annas. “We are going to the trolls. Now.”</p><p>She pointed her hands at their outfits, changing them into daywear. The first Anna, she dressed in her current queenly attire, while the second received her old princess outfit – simply the two dresses Elsa was the most practiced at making. To each of these, she added a hood.  “Fix up your hair how you like, as long as the two of you differ,” she said. She spoke in a clipped, neutral tone, hoping to convey to the true Anna that the situation was serious, and to the impostor that she would brook no funny business. Though it painted her to talk to Anna like this, it was necessary until she knew which one was truly her sister.</p><p>Ideally, she would have sent them on different routes down to the stables, but she wasn't about to let either one out of her sight. Instead, she instructed them to both draw their hoods up and travel through a path she knew to be abandoned. The guards were nothing if not discreet – she could attest to that herself – but if some common folk were to see them, the rumors could spiral out of control.</p><p>She set off at a brisk pace, and both Annas followed her, looking concerned and confused. She still felt the instinct to panic, but suppressed it. The path ahead of her was clear – find the trolls, determine which Anna was the real one, apologize profusely to her for ever doubting, and figure out what to do with the impostor. The situation would be under control within hours, and this assertion kept her calm.</p><p>She was wrong, but luckily she didn’t know that yet.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Made my bed</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Grand Pabbie studied one of the Annas, a look of deep concentration on his face. His hand was outstretched and pointing towards her, glowing faintly. The other Anna stood a few feet away, having just been examined in this manner. Elsa stood behind him, nervously waiting for the prognosis.</p><p>Around the clearing in which they were standing, the other trolls watched. Most had been asleep when the three of them arrived, but as word had spread about the bizarre circumstances of their visit, more and more had shown up to watch. They'd certainly had time to do so – Pabbie had inspected both girls three times now, seemingly not yet confident enough to decide.</p><p>Elsa felt like she just might explode if he took much longer.</p><p>The silent carriage ride over here had been bad enough. After deliberating over the seating arrangements for far too long, she’d settled on sitting in one corner and having one Anna sit across from her, one on the other end of her side. After a short while, she realized that this choice, too, was wrong. No matter where she turned, she still saw at least one of them sitting there, scared and confused, with the added bonus of them both getting a good look at <em>her</em> being concerned and confused. She’d been sorely tempted to just break down and try to console both of them.</p><p>Whoever had done this, had put them through this ordeal, was going to pay for it.</p><p>Finally, Pabbie stepped away. For a moment, it looked as if he was about to check yet again, but he decided against it and walked towards Elsa again. “Thank you for coming here immediately,” he said. “I must confess, I have never seen anything like this, in all my years.”</p><p>“But…can you say which one is real?” Elsa asked.</p><p>Pabbie nodded. “I have read their hearts, mind, and souls. I have indeed reached a conclusion, but I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn't seen it myself.”</p><p>He turned back to the second Anna, who tensed up. “This is, without a doubt, Anna, queen of Arendelle, your sister.”</p><p>She relaxed. The other girl blanched. “And…her?” Elsa asked.</p><p>“How to say it…” Grand Pabbie said. He walked towards her, seeming to take a thousand years to make each step. “She is <em>also</em> Anna.”</p><p>The crowd of trolls gasped.</p><p>Elsa’s eyes widened. “What?” she said.</p><p>“Yes, indeed,” Pabbie continued. “I am as confident in this statement as the last – 100 percent. She is just as much Anna as the other.”</p><p>“That’s not possible,” the second Anna said.</p><p>“My dear, whether it is possible or impossible is completely irrelevant, because it has happened.” He turned to face the both of them. “The two of you are the same exact person, down to the last hair, and that person is Anna, queen of Arendelle and sister of Elsa. It is as simple as that.”</p><p>The two Annas stared at him, then each other, incredulously. They reached out their hands once again, and touched them together. Elsa half-expected there to be a flash of light, or a shockwave, or something, but nothing happened. Just two people, touching hands – they just happened to be the exact same person.</p><p>The first Anna squinted her eyes. “What did dad get us on our eighth birthday?” she asked accusatorily.</p><p>“A tricycle,” the second Anna responded immediately. “What was the first thing we did with it?”</p><p>“Rode it down the stairs,” the first responded. “Smacked right into the wall.”</p><p>Then both of them said at the same time, “Did it again three days later.”</p><p>They both clapped a hand to their mouths. “It’s true,” one of them whispered.</p><p>The first Anna turned. “Elsa, what-”</p><p>She was cut off by the sight of Elsa walking towards them. She opened her arms wide and wrapped them around the both of them, pulling them into a bear hug. They were both eager to hug her back, especially the second Anna, who Elsa had pointedly not touched once the whole morning.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” Elsa whispered, tears in her eyes, as she pulled back.</p><p>“Sorry? What for?” the first Anna asked.</p><p>Elsa held up three fingers. “For not trusting either of you,” she said, lowering one finger. “For staying distant when you were both as scared as I was.” She looked at her third finger. “And…because this is probably my fault.”</p><p>“Your fault?” the second Anna said. “You did this?”</p><p>“Not intentionally,” Elsa said. “But…it’s kind of obvious, isn’t it?”</p><p>It certainly wasn’t obvious to either Anna, who regarded her with puzzled looks.</p><p>“Whatever this is, it’s clearly magical in nature,” Elsa said. “Who have you been around that’s magical, other than me? And we both…all three of us know I can create life with it, sentient life. Take those things together, and it’s not a big leap to say that I caused this somehow.” She looked down. “As usual.”</p><p>“Yes it is!”</p><p>“That’s a huge leap!”</p><p>Both Annas shouted out at nearly the same time, stepping forward and taking her hands reassuringly.</p><p>Grand Pabbie stroked his chin. “It may very well be so,” he mused. The three girls turned to him. “But I don’t have enough information to say for certain.” He looked up. “Anna…both of you. With your consent, I’d like to search through your recent memories to find the point of divergence.”</p><p>Both Annas froze. Elsa’s reaction was more restrained, yet still in line with the other two. “Recent memories?” the first Anna said. “Like…last night?”</p><p>Pabbie frowned. “Well, yes, that seems an obvious place to start,” he said, looking puzzled at their reaction.</p><p>“Uh…can’t we just skip to this morning?” the second Anna asked.</p><p>“Yeah!” the first Anna said. “I was still one person when I went to sleep.”</p><p>“We’re trying to determine causality here,” Pabbie pointed out. “If I skip until after the event has transpired, I doubt we’ll learn much.” The consternation on their faces intensified. “…Is there an issue?”</p><p>Both Annas looked around at the gathered crowd of trolls, then at Elsa for salvation. Gathering her courage, Elsa walked up to Pabbie and bent down. “Do you remember that…thing I told you about the last time I came to see you?” she asked quietly. “About me and Anna?”</p><p>Pabbie’s expression shifted from puzzled to impassive, like a stone. “Your…inclination?” he ventured.</p><p>Elsa nodded, cheeks turning pink.</p><p>Pabbie turned around and addressed the other trolls. “Go on home, all of you. The queens have private matters to disclose.”</p><p>The trolls, though clearly burning with curiosity, obliged, rolling away from the clearing. Pabbie allowed no emotion to enter his face, in contrast to the three women assembled before him, who grew more and more embarrassed as the gradual rumbling of their retreat faded into an awkward silence.</p><p>Finally, when they were alone, Pabbie spoke. “So, the question of reciprocity has been answered, at least.”</p><p>Both Annas turned to Elsa. “You told him??” they demanded simultaneously.</p><p>“I consulted with him,” Elsa admitted. “This is love we’re dealing with – true love! And the…stuff we’re doing together…I haven’t heard of anyone doing before, especially anyone magical. I wanted to make sure there wouldn’t be any unintended consequences.”</p><p>Both Annas opened their mouths, but after glancing at one another, they closed them again, silently conceding the point.</p><p>“And if I recall, I never said there wouldn’t be,” Pabbie said. Elsa nodded guiltily. “Well, I won’t dive into your memories, but I still need to know what happened between you two last night. Divulge all you feel comfortable divulging.”</p><p>The two Annas seemed to be having a contest to see whose face could turn the reddest. Once again, it fell to Elsa.</p><p>“It wasn’t anything major, really,” she insisted. “Not more than usual.” Realizing this didn't help her case much, she struggled to figure out how to best explain it.</p><p>Pabbie threw her a line. “On a scale of one to ten, with ten being all the way…”</p><p>“Three,” Elsa said gratefully. “Uh…maybe three and a half, I guess? Either way, you said anything less than eight wasn't too risky, right?”</p><p>The second Anna, still blushing, widened her eyes, perhaps trying to imagine what ‘eight’ could possibly entail.</p><p>“It was mostly just sister stuff, anyway,” Elsa continued. “We’ve always cuddled on the bed, we’ve always hugged each other. And…other sisters kiss each other, right? That's a thing.” She found herself unable to hold back her blush any longer, and she started talking faster. “We hadn't seen each other in a while, it's only natural we got a bit closer than usual. Anyone else would’ve done the same, right?”</p><p>Pabbie’s face remained impassible. “You tell me.”</p><p>Her shoulders slumped. “No,” she admitted. “They wouldn't have.”</p><p>Pabbie nodded. “I see,” he said, letting the matter pass. “And this was your first time?”</p><p>Elsa scratched her neck and looked everywhere but at his face. “Um…ah…you see…”</p><p>“The first time you reached three and a half?” he said patiently.</p><p>“Yes, definitely,” Elsa said.</p><p>Pabbie sighed. “I’m sorry, but that alone doesn’t sound like enough to cause this,” he said.</p><p>“Well, that isn’t <em>all</em> we did,” Elsa said indignantly. “We played some games, we talked for a bit, we-” She froze. “Oh shit,” she said.</p><p>She turned to face the Annas. “Do you remember the last thing we talked about, before I went back to my room?”</p><p>They looked puzzled. Then it dawned on one of them, then the other. “No way. You think that’s it?” the first asked.</p><p>Elsa nodded.</p><p>“There’s no way that’d be enough,” the second said.</p><p>“Well, it wasn’t just that,” Elsa admitted. She turned back to Pabbie, clearly uncomfortable that she’d have to explain yet more. “This’ll take a bit of context,” she said.</p><p>The first Anna put a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll explain this one,” she offered. “Then you can wrap it up.”</p><p>Elsa smiled. “Thank you,” she said, stepping back so Anna could take center stage.</p><p>Anna took a deep breath, then began. “So after…all that stuff…”</p><p>xxxxxxx</p><p>Anna slumped down from sitting against the backboard to laying on the bed. “You were right,” she said contentedly as she nestled beneath the covers. “That was a lot of fun.”</p><p>“Mhm,” Elsa agreed. She lingered for a few minutes longer, chatting about a few banalities, but it was clear to both of them that the night had reached a natural…peak. Anna let out an especially big yawn, which Elsa took as a signal. With a final kiss on the bridge of Anna’s noise, she extricated herself from the bedding, now slightly tangled. “I should get back to my own room,” she explained. “Gale sometimes brings me messages early in the morning.”</p><p>“I see,” Anna said, still looking a bit put out.</p><p>Elsa lazily walked to the door, in absolutely no hurry. Then at the door, she stopped and looked back. “We really should do this more often,” she said.</p><p>Anna nodded. “Take me back north with you.”</p><p>“Would if I could,” Elsa said sadly.  “Nokk doesn't care for passengers much. Besides, you already made two ‘diplomatic visits’ in the past month. You and I both know how that paperwork piles up.”</p><p>Anna glanced resentfully at the desk in the corner of the room, overflowing with parchments despite Elsa's best attempts to organize it. “If only there were more of me to go around.”</p><p>Elena chuckled. “Oh, don't I wish,” she said. “Good night, Anna.”</p><p>“Good night, Elsa,” Anna answered. In spite of her sadness, she still managed a smile as Elsa gently closed the door behind her.</p><p>xxxxxxx</p><p>“The thing is,” Elsa said, stepping forward again, “I really did wish it.”</p><p>“And you think that did it?” the second Anna asked skeptically. “Your magic is strong, but you're not a genie.”</p><p>Elsa closed her eyes. “It wasn’t just that,” she said tightly. “After I said it, I started thinking more about it. Really dove into the idea. I…got myself worked up.”</p><p>She clammed up, her blush exceeding that of both Annas. Neither pursued the idea further. Whatever ‘working herself up’ entailed, it could probably be expressed with a number greater than 3.5.</p><p>Pabbie cleared his throat. “Okay then,” he said. “I think that's information to go off of.”</p><p>“Thank god,” all three girls said at once.</p><p>Silence fell over the clearing. Pabbie turned and stroked his chin, deep in thought. Elsa, still waiting for the other shoe to drop, began fidgeting more and more. Finally, she spoke up. “If you’re going to scold me, then do it already,” she said. “It’s agony to wait.”</p><p>Pabbie looked at her oddly. “I have no intention of scolding you,” he said. “This was an entirely unconscious act on your part.”</p><p>“No, I mean because of…” Elsa trailed off, not needing to finish her sentence.</p><p>“I will simply repeat the same thing I told you when you last came to me,” Pabbie said. “Both for Anna’s benefit, and because recent events may cast my words in a different light.”</p><p>Elsa nodded.</p><p>Pabbie regarded all three of them. “You are all adults, of legal age,” he said. “Your love for each other is well known, an unbreakable bond that anyone would be lucky to have. I pass no judgment on how you choose to express this love. I have neither the status to do so, nor the desire.”</p><p>He took a firmer tone. “However, you must be prepared to face the consequences of your actions. You are a magical being, and true love is itself the strongest magic of all. With such a combination, you would do well to watch yourselves, or expect the unexpected.”</p><p>Elsa squeezed her arm self-consciously. The Annas put one hand on each of her shoulders.</p><p>“But that is all to do with causality,” Pabbie said, his tone lighter once again. “The next matter is reversing the event, returning to normal. I must confess, I am at a loss in this regard – as I said, I have never seen an instance of this before. I do know your castle library has a large supply of ancient-”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>Elsa’s voice was firm, resolute. The other three in the clearing all turned to look at her.</p><p>“No?” Pabbie repeated, puzzled again. “Isn’t that what you came to me for?”</p><p>“I came here to determine which of them was the real Anna,” Elsa said. “If they’re both Anna, they’re both staying.”</p><p>“Are you sure that is wise?” he asked her. “This will cause many complications.”</p><p>“Then we’ll deal with them,” Elsa said firmly. “But I'm not undoing this.”</p><p>“I’m afraid I don't quite understand where you're coming from,” Pabbie said. Both Annas looked similarly confused.</p><p>“Two minus one equals one,” Elsa said, turning to the Annas. “The only way to go back to normal would be to get rid of one of you. Erase one.”</p><p>Both Annas quavered; it seemed they hadn't thought of it this way before. Neither had Pabbie – he rushed to reassure her.</p><p>“I assure you, it's nothing like you're thinking,” he said. “The most likely solution would be a complete reversal of time to before the moment of incident, with neither of you being any the wiser.”</p><p>“I don't care,” Elsa said. Her voice was dangerously level.</p><p>She turned to face him again, steely determination in her eyes. “Let me tell you something, Pabbie. I already killed Anna once. It <em>destroyed</em> me. I'm never doing that again, in any way, shape or form. If they are both Anna, I will treat them both as Anna. Protect them as I would Anna. Is that clear?”</p><p>“Of course it is, Elsa,” Pabbie said, palms out in a conciliatory gesture. “I assure you, I didn't mean to-”</p><p>“I know you didn’t,” Elsa said, calming down. “You're just trying to help, and you have helped. But I don't intend to budge on this.”</p><p>Pabbie nodded. “Then it shall be so.”</p><p>Suddenly, Elsa was mobbed from behind. Four arms wrapped around her in a bear hug as both Annas expressed their thanks to her.</p><p>Pabbie chuckled. “It’s unanimous, then.”</p><p>“Looks that way,” Elsa said. She awkwardly shifted until she'd turned herself around, then hugged her little sisters back.</p><p><em>Sister</em>s.<em> I have two sisters now. Not just two sisters – two </em>Annas.</p><p>The thought was deeply pleasant. She smiled dreamily as she considered the ramifications of having two Annas around.</p><p><em>All</em> the ramifications.</p><p>She forced herself to snap out of it, and slowly extricated herself from the hug. “Oh my, this is going to be a lot of work. We have so many logistics to work out.”</p><p>The Annas tilted their heads. “Logistics? That's what you're worried about right now?” the second Anna asked.</p><p>“Oh, of course. We’ll have to figure out a lot of things if we want this to work. For starters, what do I even call the two of you?” Elsa asked.</p><p>“Anna, of course,” they said in unison. Then they looked at each other, and realized the issue she was getting at.</p><p>Elsa scratched her head for a moment, them snapped her fingers. “I’ve got it,” she said. She pointed at the second Anna. “I'll still call you Anna.” Then she pointed at the first Anna. “And when you're both together, I'll call you…Ana, with a short ‘a.’ Sound good?”</p><p>Ana grumbled a little about getting the derivative name, but the general consensus was that this would work.</p><p>“Next, are we keeping this a secret from the kingdom?” Elsa asked.</p><p>The two of them considered this for a moment, making the same thinking gestures as they did so but slightly out of sync. It was rather funny and rather cute, and once again Elsa had to force herself to keep her thoughts on track.</p><p>“I think we should, for now,” Ana said. “We can’t exactly un-tell everyone if it turns out to be a bad idea. Besides, it really doesn’t concern anyone but us.” Anna voiced her agreement.</p><p>“That’s probably for the best,” Elsa said. Then she giggled. “For all the citizens know, you’ll suddenly get twice as good at talking to people <em>and</em> filling out paperwork at the same time.”</p><p>“Oh yeah, the paperwork,” Anna said. “I hadn’t thought about that.” She pictured the overladen writing desk back at home, then imagined a guillotine chopping it in half. She smiled giddily. “I think I’m gonna like this.”</p><p>“It won’t all be nice like that,” Elsa said. “You’re also gonna have to coordinate schedules, and get a lot better at keeping secrets.”</p><p>“Sure will,” Anna said. “Uh…not to be rude, but…maybe you could help us with that?”</p><p>“Of course,” Elsa said. “I’ll help you with all of it. I’m not going to leave your side – either of your sides – until we have this all figured out.”</p><p>Ana frowned. “Uh, but didn’t you have that thing you needed to take care of back north?”</p><p>“Oh, that’s right,” Anna said. “The earth giants.”</p><p>Elsa put a hand to her forehead. “Damn it, completely forgot about that.”</p><p>“What is the issue with the giants?” Pabbie asked.</p><p>“Territory dispute,” Elsa explained. “Very minor – for them, at least, but the Northuldrans always have to deal with it somehow. You can’t afford to just let it play out, because eventually they start throwing things. Heavy things.”</p><p>Pabbie stroked his chin. “Hmm. We trolls share a common ancestor with the earth giants.” He made up his mind and nodded. “Allow me to go in your stead, your majesty. Perhaps they’ll be more willing to listen to a distant relative.”</p><p>“Oh thank you, Pabbie, that’d be great!” Elsa said. “But are you sure you’re up to the task?”</p><p>Pabbie chuckled. “I didn’t get to be chief of this tribe without learning a thing or two about resolving squabbles. Besides, I agree – you should be by their side for at least the first week of this. They’ll do well to have a stabilizing presence such as yourself around.”</p><p>Elsa nodded. “Please, send a note if anything comes up.”</p><p>“I will,” Pabbie said. “You take care of yourselves, you hear? All three of you.”</p><p>“I will,” Elsa said.</p><p>“We will,” both Annas said at once.</p><p>They departed from the clearing, Pabbie announcing his travel plans to the other trolls, and the three sisters returning to their carriage, an Anna holding each of Elsa’s hands.</p><p>It was starting to feel intoxicating, having an Anna whichever way she turned. Elsa developed a giddy smile, which buoyed the spirits of both Annas as well. She cleared her head enough to sound lucid as she told their driver to return to the castle. As they piled into the carriage, now all sitting on one side with Elsa in the middle, she tried to avoid getting too excited by the prospect of the weeks to come.</p><p>She didn’t try hard.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. To build</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter three</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>To build</strong>
</p><p>“A body double?” Mattias repeated. “But why?”</p><p>“For protection,” Ana explained. “I read about it some time ago – past rulers of Arendelle have used them, right?”</p><p>“Well yes, but usually in times of war, or political unrest,” he responded. “We’re at peace now, and I don’t know if there’s ever been a ruler as beloved as you, my queen.”</p><p>“For now, yes, but peace is something we can’t guarantee ourselves,” Ana said. “If war does strike, it would be better to have a double that’s trained and prepared than trying to find one on the spot, wouldn’t it be?”</p><p>“I suppose,” Mattias said, looking dubious.</p><p>At their request, the guardhouse was empty save for the four of them. Anna stood demurely to the side, trying to act like a commoner who had just been enlisted by her queen for an important task. Elsa stepped forward now.</p><p>“May I be honest with you, Mattias?” she asked. The elderly general nodded. “In truth, this wasn’t really planned. Anna and I stumbled upon this girl very recently. But just look at the resemblance – she’s practically identical. When an opportunity like this falls into our laps, it makes sense to seize it, right?”</p><p>The funny thing was, it <em>was </em>the truth – if anything, she’d understated the reality of the situation. Not that she was incapable of lying, but Mattias had proven himself well versed in sniffing out lies.</p><p>He nodded now. “I see your reasoning, your highness,” he said. “Then you would have me and my men guard each of them as if they were the queen?”</p><p>“Absolutely,” Elsa said. “Whoever you’re guarding at the moment, let there be no doubt in your mind that she is the true Anna.”</p><p>“Very well,” he said. “I’ll inform my men.”</p><p>“Excellent,” Ana said. “I knew I could count on you, Mattias.”</p><p>He saluted, and the girls departed. Once they had closed the door behind them, Anna straightened herself and the both of them put on their hoods.</p><p>“I feel a little bad about that,” she said. “Couldn’t we trust him with the truth?”</p><p>“Him, yes,” Elsa said. “But him and all of his men? That’s too many holes in the bucket. Better to have a cover story going around.”</p><p>Anna scratched her head. “Are you sure this is necessary, Elsa?”</p><p>Elsa sighed. “No, I'm not,” she admitted. “Maybe it isn’t. But this is how I’d handle it. If it were me.”</p><p>Her head began to droop. Ana swooped in to cheer her up. “I think it's a good idea,” she said. “We can always go back and tell him the truth – he’ll understand.” Anna nodded. They each took one of Elsa's arms, which went a long way towards alleviating her gloom.</p><p>“All right, then,” Elsa said. “Until Kristoff gets back, I think that's all the groundwork we need. We’ve been out most of the morning, but I think you'll be able to make up for lost time. What did you have scheduled for today?”</p><p>“Nothing,” Anna said.</p><p>Elsa blinked. “Nothing?” she repeated. “No public visits, no meetings, no royal events of any kind?”</p><p>Anna shook her head. “I kept my schedule free, just in case I found a reason to keep you around for another day. Didn't think it would be this reason, but…here we are.”</p><p>“Oh,” Elsa said. “Well…that's fortunate that you did so this time. This’ll be a good chance to figure out what sort of stuff you can do. One of you could make a public appearance around town, while the other fills out some paperwork.”</p><p>Anna shook her head. “Nope.”</p><p>“Look, I know the paperwork’s not fun, but at least one of you still has to do it,” Elsa said.</p><p>“Not today,” Ana said. “Not while you’re still here.”</p><p>They drew in closer to the now flustered Elsa.</p><p>“I’ve got a list of things I wanna do with you every time you come down to visit,” Anna said. “We never get close to finishing it all.”</p><p>“Oh,” Elsa said. “Well, of course that sounds lovely. We should still do some work to get things sorted out, though. Develop a plan for when I’m gone.”</p><p>“That’d be a waste of the time you’re not gone,” Ana said. She sidled in closer until they were shoulder to shoulder. Anna did the same on her other side.</p><p>“We can figure all that stuff out between the two of us,” Anna said. “But we’ve only got one of you.”</p><p>“We want to be around you, both of us,” Ana said. “And we know you want that too, because you literally wished for it.”</p><p>“Of course I want that, Anna…Annas,” Elsa said nervously. “But we still have to be responsible about this.”</p><p>Anna got a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Now who was talking about doing anything irresponsible?”</p><p>Elsa had trouble responding. Anna was coming at her from all angles, and not just in the physical sense. The old guilt of not being around enough for Anna now mingled with the new guilt of creating a second Anna, however inadvertently. But neither Anna seemed the least bit upset - in fact, they seemed more eager than ever. And based on their tone, it seemed entirely likely they were willing pick up where they had left off yesterday, in spite of the consequences that had ensued – in spite of the fact they weren’t even sure if it was something they should’ve been doing to start with. She herself, sandwiched between the two of them, was starting to get hot and bothered by the situation, which was the last thing any of them needed right now!</p><p>The stress was building from these conflicting emotions, but she wouldn’t let it consume her. Standing here, in the arms of her sisters, how could she? She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The Annas, recognizing her turmoil, gave her a little space.</p><p>
  <em>Calm down. Things are okay. Arguably, they’ve never been better.</em>
</p><p>Her heart rate slowed. Neither Anna had felt so much as a stiff breeze.</p><p><em>I’m the one who was so vehement about keeping both of them. Being </em>responsible<em> about that involves staying with them, both of them. And as for…that other business, we’ve never done anything like it while the sun was up. So clearly, they’re not planning on springing that on me right now.</em></p><p>She opened her eyes. “You’re right,” she said. “This time we have together…it’s twice as precious now.” She smiled. “What’s first on the list?”</p><p>The Annas grinned broadly. They looked at each other, nodded, and then spoke in unison.</p><p>“Do you want to build a snowman?”</p><p>xxxxxxx</p><p>It was the first time in ages that she’d built a snowman by hand, without magic.</p><p>Well, okay, <em>no</em> magic was a stretch. It was the middle of July, so they didn’t have much choice in that regard. But still.</p><p>Elsa rolled a ball along the newly snow-covered ground, steadily accumulating size. It didn't feel cold to her touch, but the feeling was nevertheless bizarre. Despite shooting the stuff right out of her hands, it had been a long time since she’d last touched snow. A mere thirty feet away, two birds sang in a birdbath, completely unfazed by the winter wonderland that had sprung up behind them. You must have to be pretty jaded, to be a bird still living in Arendelle.</p><p>The two Annas were rolling snowballs of their own around the glade. It had been Ana’s idea to make it a contest, with the largest ball after a set time limit ending up as the bottom piece. It had sounded like a fine idea, and Elsa agreed – not realizing how doomed she was.</p><p>It was a simple task, of course – just roll a ball around as it gets bigger and bigger – but there were tricks to it that an experienced person could use to roll more efficiently. At least, that was what she was telling herself to justify why their snowballs were so much larger than hers already. She didn't feel like she was moving slower than them – maybe it was just Anna's natural competitive streak.</p><p>When the time was up, they reconvened in the center of the glade. Unsurprisingly, Elsa's was the smallest, but Anna had somehow rolled her ball to a significantly larger size than Ana. “I picked a better route,” she said, not offering further explanation.</p><p>“Well, looks like you won,” Elsa said. “Congratulations.”</p><p>“Don't be too upset,” Anna said. “That just means you get the head!”</p><p>They rolled the balls in and stacked them atop one another. Then the two Annas distributed their decorating supplies – they had somehow pilfered all the necessary pieces on just a short walk through the castle – and each of them decorated their own segment. The Annas finished their decoration pretty quickly, and stepped back while Elsa went into detail on the head. She made an effort to make it look as little like Olaf as possible. Not that she had anything against the guy, but this was to be a normal, non-magic snowman.</p><p><em>Good thing there’s only one of him. Could you imagine two Olafs </em>and<em> two Annas? God, I’d never get a moment’s rest.</em></p><p>She placed the last button, then stepped back to admire their handiwork. It wasn’t anything special – just a normal snowman, maybe a little shorter than most – but that was kind of the point.</p><p>“It looks great,” Ana said.</p><p>“Yeah, you did a good job,” Anna said.</p><p>Elsa looked back at them. “We all did,” she said. “This was a great idea.”</p><p>She turned back to the snowman. “I can’t remember when we did this last,” she said.</p><p>“There’s a lot of things we haven’t done in a while,” Anna said.</p><p>She looked a bit downcast while saying this, so Elsa wrapped an arm around her. “Well, seems we have a chance to do some catching up, then.” She kissed Anna on the cheek.</p><p>It was just supposed to be a one and done kiss, but obviously that wouldn't fly, as Ana now closed in, looking expectant and a little jealous. Elsa moved in to kiss her, but Ana was quicker and swiftly kissed her on the lips.</p><p>It’d been a few months since she’d first offered Anna a kiss, on a whim. It hadn’t gotten old yet. Neither of them had any real experience, but Anna was warm and ever so eager. Whenever she did it, she got goosebumps. It was like she was now closer to Anna than ever. Now, having this feeling suddenly doubled in strength, it made her want to keep going, right here in the forest.</p><p>Reluctantly, she disengaged. It was still early, after all. She turned to see Anna pouting. “Oh, don’t look at me like that,” she said, outstretching her hand. “There’s plenty of me to go around.”</p><p>“Says you,” Anna said. Still, she smiled as she took Elsa’s hand, and Ana took the other. Both of them started looking dreamily ahead, perhaps thinking of what they might get up to in the near future, or perhaps…</p><p>“Hey, you’d better not be making any wishes, either of you,” Elsa said half-jokingly. “This world doesn’t need any more of me than it’s got.”</p><p>They both giggled. “Don’t be so sure,” Anna said, planting another kiss on her cheek – an action that Ana, once again, seemed prepared to one-up.</p><p><em>Be careful,</em> a voice said in Elsa’s head. <em>Too much love is what got you here in the first place.</em></p><p>Well, that may very well have been so. But standing here right now, on the receiving end of double the regular number of kisses – more than double, really – Elsa was having trouble remembering why that was supposed to be a bad thing.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Self-care</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>Chapter four</strong>
</p><p>
  <strong>Self-care</strong>
</p><p>Anna woke as she often did; late, and not particularly happy about doing so.</p><p>
  <em>What a weird dream.</em>
</p><p>The sun beat against her closed eyelids, and she strained to look away from it in the noble cause of sleeping five more minutes. She rolled to her left, and bumped into something. Then she rolled to her right, and slipped right off the edge.</p><p>
  <em>Thud</em>
</p><p>The nudge and the noise stirred the other occupant of the bed. Her head perked up, and she looked around. “What was that?” she said.</p><p>“Morning, Ana,” came a muffled voice from beside and below her.</p><p>Ana turned and saw a pair of legs – her legs, in point of fact – sticking up from the floor. “Uh…morning, Anna,” she said.</p><p>“We need a bigger bed,” Anna mumbled into the floor.</p><hr/><p>Over the next ten minutes, the two of them graduated from the deathlike torpor of the recently awoken to the zombie-like shambling of those awake, but not happy about it. They sat and/or lay around, putting off the eventual morning bath.</p><p>Despite having been shunted from it, Anna felt herself drawn back to her bed, feeling the urge to fall back asleep pulling on her. Ana draped herself over a chair, but looked no more lucid. The hefty desk still sat in the corner of the room, taunting them with its many unsigned papers.</p><p>They could only imagine what two Elsas would’ve accomplished by now. Not only would they both be awake, bathed, and fully presentable, but they’d have a nice tidy list of today’s tasks, evenly distributed amongst the both of them. They’d probably have half done by breakfast, all of them done by lunch, and finish off by solving world hunger before supper.</p><p>
  <em>Still, at least that’d leave the evening for us…</em>
</p><p>Anna shook herself out of it. One of them had to get the day started, and she might as well do it, rather than waiting for…herself.</p><p>“Okay, then,” she said. “Here’s a question – which of us gets the first bath?”</p><p>Ana looked up. “Oh, um…” she said. “I’ve been thinking about that, actually.” For some reason, she seemed to be blushing.</p><p>“Hmm?” Anna said. “What're you thinking?”</p><p>“Well, if you think about it…” Ana said, looking down at her hands. “There’s no real reason we couldn't both go at once.”</p><p>“What?” Anna said, bewildered. “Why?”</p><p>Aside from a few times with Elsa back when they were both toddlers, she had always bathed alone. She knew it was an option to have a servant assist, but the mere idea was enough to make her blush.</p><p>“Well…it saves time, right?” Ana said. “And that tub, you know, it's really big.”</p><p>“Well, sure,” Anna said, “but still, why?”</p><p>Ana sighed. “Look,” she said. “You and I, we’re…kinda shy about this stuff, right?” Anna nodded. “But we're adults now, we should be getting used to the idea of, you know, doing stuff like this. And who would be better to practice with than ourselves?”</p><p>“I guess that makes sense,” Anna said, sounding unconvinced.</p><p>Ana looked up. “Come on, Anna, what if Elsa asked us to do that with her tomorrow? Would you be ready for it?”</p><p>Anna looked alarmed. “She wouldn't be that forward,” she said.</p><p>“Just picture it,” Ana insisted.</p><p>So Anna did picture it. She imagined Elsa asking her to share a bath. Imagined them both – or maybe all three of them – together there, nothing on save for soap bubbles…</p><p>She forcibly snapped herself out of the dream, aware of how deeply she was blushing. “How did you even come up with this?” she demanded. “And how are you more mentally prepared for it than I am?”</p><p>“Simple,” Ana said. “You fell asleep first last night and started snoring, so I got an extra couple hours to lie awake and think about it.”</p><p>Now Anna looked down. “I don’t-”</p><p>“Yes you do,” Ana insisted. “I was right there.”</p><p>“Well…that means you snore too,” Anna shot back.</p><p>“Yeah, probably,” Ana said. “So you wanna take a bath or not?”</p><p>“…Fine, I guess,” Anna said.</p><p>The two of them, both thoroughly embarrassed by now, prepared to head to the washroom.</p><p>
  <em>Oh god, I hope Elsa doesn't mind snoring!</em>
</p><hr/><p>The room was steamy. Not nearly steamy enough, though.</p><p>The bathtub was indeed palatially large, but at the moment the two of them were only using a small portion of it – or rather, two small portions, on diametrically opposed sides of it. Anna kept to herself at one end, her back turned to Ana. She only stole brief glances over her shoulder to confirm Ana, too, was facing away. Despite the whole situation being her idea, she clearly wasn’t any more comfortable with it; her blush was so profuse that it wrapped around to the back of her neck.</p><p>“Soap, please,” Anna said. She heard it splash into the water behind her. “Thanks,” she said, reaching down and grabbing it.</p><p>Ana glanced back. “Say, um, Anna…”</p><p>“Yeah?” Anna said.</p><p>“Would…you mind…getting my back?”</p><p>Anna swiveled her head around. “What?”</p><p>Ana looked as if she was trying to fold in on herself. “Neither of us brought a washcloth,” she said. “You know it's hard to reach. I can get yours next.”</p><p>“I’d rather I just got my back, thanks,” Anna said.</p><p>“It <em>is </em>your back,” Ana pointed out.</p><p>“It’s different,” Anna insisted. “You know it's different.”</p><p>“For god's sake, Anna, how are we ever going to make a move on Elsa if we can't even work up the nerve to touch ourselves?” Ana blurted out.</p><p>Anna blinked. She turned herself around, using one arm to cover her breasts. “Come again?”</p><p>Ana’s hands were gripping the tub’s rim tightly, the only part of her body not curling up into itself. “We’re too modest, Anna,” she said quietly. “You know it, and I know it. We're nowhere near where we need to be, to do the stuff Elsa’s ready for.”</p><p>“So we let her take the lead,” Anna said. “She’s been doing pretty well so far.”</p><p>Ana shook her head. “She won't want to take the lead now,” she said. “Not after…creating us.”</p><p>“What do you mean?” Anna asked. “She wanted two of us, or else it wouldn't have happened.”</p><p>“She did it by mistake,” Ana said. “And you know how she gets when she makes a mistake.”</p><p>Anna thought on it, then nodded sadly. “You’re right,” she said. “She’ll be too scared to keep going on her own. And by the time she gets over it…”</p><p>“…She’ll be gone again,” Ana finished. “Which means we have to make the next move.”</p><p>Anna shivered at the mere thought. The idea of taking charge, instead of Elsa – of convincing Elsa that it would be okay to go on. It wasn’t an unappealing idea, but thinking about the steps required to do that, and the willpower she’d need to not back down herself…</p><p>“Right, then,” she said, sloshing forward. “Your back.”</p><p>Ana jumped. “What? Oh, yeah. First step.”</p><p>Anna squirmed around, trying to figure out where to put her legs. She settled for folding her legs awkwardly underneath herself, then scooting up behind Ana. For the first time, she forced herself to look directly at Ana’s back, as embarrassing as it felt. Even if it was her own body, she couldn’t ignore the fact that this was, indeed, the first time she’d been in the same room as a naked woman. Her heart was beating like crazy.</p><p>“Wow,” she said, thinking it was under her breath.</p><p>“What?” Ana said.</p><p>“Nothing, I just…” Anna’s voice faded to a mumble as she scrunched in on herself.</p><p>“You just what?” Ana asked.</p><p>
  <em>Dammit, this is my own curiosity come back to haunt me.</em>
</p><p>“I didn’t…realize…I had freckles back there,” she managed.</p><p>“Oh,” Ana said.</p><p>As she fell quiet, Anna advanced, soap in hand.</p><p>“Back where?” Ana asked, making Anna jerk her arm back in surprise.</p><p>“Forget it,” Anna said. “You’ll see when you get my back.”</p><p>“Oh yeah,” Ana said.</p><p>After waiting to make sure nothing else would come, Anna reached forward again. Her arm looked steady as it reached out towards Ana – then again, her head and her arm could just be trembling at the same frequency.</p><p>Finally, she touched the soap to Ana’s back. Ana gasped.</p><p>“Please don’t make noises,” Anna said.</p><p>“I was surprised,” Ana said. “Elsa’s going to make noises too.”</p><p>“Yeah, but…” Anna trailed off, unable to think of anything rational to respond with. She began scrubbing Ana’s back, moving the soap up and down while trying to think about literally anything else.</p><p><em>Imagine it's Elsa,</em> a voice in her head said.</p><p>Her heart rate accelerated even further.</p><p>
  <em>That doesn't help!</em>
</p><p>Then again, it wasn't that hard to pretend. They had similar proportions, and the steamy air partially obscured the color of Ana's hair, which was now untied in the style that Elsa herself was wearing these days. Just ignore the freckles, and this could be Elsa. She could be bathing with Elsa, her perfect big sister.</p><p>“Are you okay?” Ana asked. “You're shaking a lot.”</p><p>“Yes, I'm fine,” Anna said. But now that she'd come back to reality, she could see that she was barely able to maintain contact between the soap and Ana’s body. “Maybe if I just…” she said, reaching out and putting her other hand on Ana's shoulder. Ana jumped, but thankfully didn't yell again. “To steady myself,” she explained.</p><p>“Yeah, of course,” Ana said.</p><p>In reality, though, adding physical contact to the equation did nothing to help. She knuckled down and resumed scrubbing, eager to just get it over with. “Is this all right?” she asked.</p><p>“Yes, you’re doing just fine.”</p><p>“Great,” Anna said. She looked around and tried to let her mind wander again. There wasn't much to see in the room, though, apart from the tub.</p><p><em>Wow, this really is a big tub, </em>she mused. <em>All three of us could fit in it.</em></p><p>Now there was a mental image. Her on one side, Ana on the other, and Elsa in the middle. Then it really would be Elsa she was scrubbing down…</p><p>Ana yelped. “That’s not my back, Anna!”</p><p>Anna came back to reality, blushing profusely when she saw where her hand had drifted off to. “It’s…on the back of you,” she managed as she jerked it back.</p><p>“Well, yeah…” Ana began.</p><p>Anna dropped the bar of soap quickly and turned around. “Okay, that should be good enough,” she said hastily. “Now you can get mine.” She folded her arms and stuck her hands deep into her armpits, where they couldn't get up to any more mischief.</p><p>“Um, right. Of course.” Ana sank down into the water to rinse the suds off, then grabbed the soap. Anna braced herself, endeavoring to not make the situation any more awkward than it already was.</p><p>The bar of soap touching her back felt like…well, soap. Maybe it had been colder when she'd first grabbed it, but it didn't shock her the way it had Ana. What was now surprising was the feeling that came next.</p><p>
  <em>This feels really good.</em>
</p><p>Without even meaning to, her body relaxed, and her hands fell to her sides. Her breathing slowed back to normal, a change Ana surely noticed but thankfully didn't mention. Come to think of it, Ana hadn’t been that tense, either. Seems she’d found the reason.</p><p>Ana put her hand on Anna’s shoulder. “To keep it steady,” she said before Anna could turn around.</p><p>“Of course,” Anna said.</p><p>With a little amusement, she realized that Ana’s hands were now shaking. She, on the other hand, felt strangely calm. She resisted the urge to sigh in contentment, but this wave of comfort was certainly not unwelcome, especially after her earlier stress.</p><p><em>Imagine if </em>this<em> was Elsa.</em></p><p>The fantasy came easier this time. Ana’s hands were almost as soft and gentle as Elsa’s herself. It could almost be her – it <em>could</em> be her – lovingly touching her like this. Only the back, for now, but as soon as they were comfortable…</p><p>Anna shifted forward a little. Evidently, this was a move that Ana was ill prepared for.</p><p>She had been sitting on her haunches, and as she jerked forward to try and keep up with Anna, she slipped. Anna felt her collide into her back, hearing a splash as the soap fell into the water and a wet slap as Ana’s body hit hers. The feeling of Ana’s breasts mushed up against her back was truly and wholly alien to her, and she yelped in surprise.</p><p>“Sorry, sorry, sorry!” Ana exclaimed, scrambling backwards as soon as her hands found purchase on the tub’s rim. “I didn’t mean for that to happen! You moved, and I slipped, and…” She trailed off, stammering.</p><p>Anna, jolted from her daydream, was a bit more lucid, though her face felt as red as Ana’s looked. “I think we’re both plenty clean now.”</p><p>Ana nodded. “Yeah,” she said, practically leaping out of the tub. Anna did the same, and they both grabbed their towels and clothes, then retreated to opposite corners of the room to dress.</p><p>As Anna wrapped the towel around herself, however, she couldn’t help but look down at her own chest, and think back about the odd sensation she’d just felt.</p><p>
  <em>Elsa’s would’ve been bigger.</em>
</p><hr/><p>The two Annas emerged from the washroom. After making sure the coast was clear, they shuffled back to their room and slammed the door shut. They each picked a wall to slide down and did so, trying to process what had just happened.</p><p>“Well…we got through that,” Anna said.</p><p>“I guess we did,” Ana said.</p><p>A welcome silence fell over them, lasting for a few minutes before being punctuated by Anna’s stomach.</p><p>“Breakfast time,” she said.</p><p>“Yep,” Ana said.</p><p>“Okay, remember what Elsa said last night? One of us should eat publicly, like usual, but she’ll eat in private with the other.” Ana nodded. “So…which of us should-”</p><p>“Please, Anna,” Ana said. “You’ve earned the right to eat with Elsa. For putting up with my idea.”</p><p>“It wasn’t that bad of an idea,” Anna insisted. “Just bad execution.”</p><p>“Execution, huh?” Ana said dryly. “I could go for one of those right now.” She chopped the back of the neck with her hand.</p><p>“Oh, hush,” Anna said. “Look on the bright side. Now, if Elsa asks us to do that tomorrow…we’ll handle it better.”</p><p>Ana chuckled. “Well, it’d be hard to handle it worse.”</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Close for comfort</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was comforting for Elsa to be busy. She thrived under pressure, and took comfort in a full workload. Now, though, her plate was filled with a different kind of task.</p><p>Breakfast with Anna. Walk around town with Ana. A meeting with Anna. Lunch with Ana. Foreign affairs with Anna. Then, a private supper with both. A fuller schedule she had never had.</p><p>It was just like the old days – well, the recent days, anyway – where Anna had been by her side almost nonstop. While she had found it tiring at first, it hadn’t taken long for her to get into the rhythm. It was a wonderous thing, after so much isolation, to have access to her sister nonstop. And now…well, it was all that, but doubled.</p><p>Anna was usually full of energy, but would often end up drained at the end of the day. Now her stores were doubled, and thus she seemed indefatigable. Had anyone been watching closely, they would’ve found it an odd sight indeed – Anna, perhaps running out of steam, would duck into her bedroom, then emerge moments later, even more excited. While Elsa had found the quiet monotony of paperwork a respite from the bustle of regular life, it seemed Anna found no such joy in the task – which gave her that much more joy to have half as much to do, of course.</p><p>They were now slowly strolling through the castle halls, Ana providing a number of foreign visitors a tour of the castle. Elsa had never been particularly good at talking to people like this, so Ana did most of the talking while Elsa fielded the occasional question directed her way. Of course, Ana knew every square inch of the castle.</p><p>“This painting here,” she said, gesturing to a landscape on the wall opposite a window, “was thought to be an original Rembrandt. Later, we discovered it was just a well-made fake – see this smudge here on the signature. However, I decided to keep it here, because – well, I still think it’s nice.”</p><p>The guests gave a good-natured laugh. Elsa chuckled softly as well, only half paying attention as she looked around the hall.</p><p>Then she froze.</p><p>Far away, at the end of the hallway they were currently walking down, Anna rounded a corner. It seemed she had stepped out for a breath of fresh air and was now lazily walking around, oblivious to the crowd and her other self maybe fifty feet away. They hadn’t seen her yet, but she didn’t seem to notice their presence, either. In maybe thirty seconds, they would see each other, and Elsa couldn’t warn her without doing something that would draw their attention as well.</p><p>
  <em>We need a distraction! Do something!</em>
</p><p>Her brain shifted into crisis mode. Frantically, she sized up all of their options and resources. Then she had an idea.</p><p>Fortunately, it seemed luck was on her side, as she felt a familiar presence in the castle grounds below. She gestured with her off hand, hoping she could move fast enough.</p><p>A few seconds ticked by – he wasn’t that close, it seemed. One of the guests started to turn his head.</p><p>“AAAAHHH!”</p><p>Olaf crashed through the nearest window, and all of the guests jumped. He fell to the floor with a soft <em>pwump</em>, the mysterious gust that had carried him vanishing as Elsa closed her fist.</p><p>Ana, of course, had no idea this was coming. “Olaf?!” she shouted. Elsa glanced up, seeing that Anna had taken the hint and was now running back the way she came, before looking back at Olaf, her face in fake shock.</p><p>Olaf shook himself off, then looked around. “Anna! Elsa!” he exclaimed. “New people, too!”</p><p>Ana glanced at Elsa. Elsa looked back, making the <em>roll with it</em> gesture behind her back.</p><p>“So, uh, Olaf…what brings you here?” Ana asked.</p><p>“Uh…” Olaf pondered. “I think I just learned how to teleport.”</p><p>“Really?” Elsa said. “How’d you do it?”</p><p>“I don’t know!” Olaf said. “I was just walking around in the garden, thinking about coming inside, and now here I am! Inside!”</p><p>“Amazing,” Elsa said. “Maybe you could show it off, for our distinguished guests?”</p><p>Olaf looked at them. “Sure!” He closed his eyes and rubbed his hands on his temples. “Candy store, candy store, candystorecandystorecandystore…” he muttered under his breath. The guests, completely in the dark, merely watched, bewildered.</p><p>Eventually he opened his eyes. “I guess I’m still working out the details,” he said.</p><p>“Well, give us a heads up when you figure it out,” Elsa said.</p><p>“I will!” he said. “Now I gotta get to the candy store. I’ll see you later!” He dashed off down the hall. “Sorry, extinguished guests!” he called back as he ran.</p><p>There was a moment of silence, then Ana cleared her throat. “Okay then,” she said. “Now, if you come this way, I’ll show you a couple of statues donated by Baron de Montesquieu.”</p><p>She waved them down a nearby hallway, and the guests followed her, still thoroughly confused, but deciding to act as if nothing extraordinary had happened out of politeness.</p><p>As they walked away, Elsa faintly heard Olaf’s voice once more from the distant hallway, so quiet none of the others could.</p><p>“Anna! You can teleport too?”</p><p>xxxxxxx</p><p>There’s an art to a good, proper scolding. You need to be just firm enough to get your point to stick, yet not too harsh to be cruel. Over the years, Elsa had refined it to an art.</p><p>She marched down the hall to Anna’s room, Ana right behind her. “Don’t be too hard on her,” she said. “She probably just wanted to get some fresh air.”</p><p>“Yes, probably,” Elsa said. “Still, we had an agreed-upon protocol, and she didn’t follow it. She was very nearly found out.”</p><p>“Well…yes,” Ana admitted.</p><p>Elsa smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.”</p><p>They reached Anna’s door, and Elsa knocked in the pattern they had practiced.</p><p>“C-Come in,” came the reply.</p><p>Elsa was astonished by Anna's tone – she was half scared to death, it sounded like. Just what did she think she was going to do to her?</p><p>Ana stepped forward. “Maybe I should go in first,” she said quietly. “Calm her down a little.”</p><p>Elsa nodded. Ana took point and opened the door, entering the dimly lit room. “Anna, don't be-”</p><p>Anna lunged out from behind the door, put her hands on Ana’s head, and kissed her.</p><p>Ana yelped in surprise, and Elsa jumped in confusion. Anna’s eyes were closed at first, so it took a few seconds to realize what was actually going on. When she saw who she was kissing, they opened wide as dinner plates.</p><p>“Ana!” she yelped. She leapt away and scampered back into the room, the gloom within inadequate to conceal her ruby-red blush. “I was…I thought…you weren't supposed to…” Her voice faded into panicked stammering.</p><p>Ana was at a loss for words, so it fell to Elsa to make sense of the situation. A likely explanation came to her, and she couldn't help but chuckle.</p><p>“Let me guess,” she said, advancing into the room. “Your plan was to kiss me, surprising me so much that I'd forget why I was supposed to be mad at you?”</p><p>“Yep,” Anna said from the bed, her head in her hands. Any kind of denial was most likely useless at this point anyway.</p><p>“Well, you did surprise me,” Elsa said.</p><p>Anna said nothing. She looked as if she wanted nothing more than to sink into the bed beneath her, and perhaps the floor beneath that.</p><p>Elsa sat down beside her. “So…want to try again?”</p><p>Ana lowered her hand and sat up. “For real?”</p><p>“I can't let Ana have all the fun, can I?” Elsa said. “Besides, I'm sure you've learned some kind of lesson from all this.”</p><p>Anna pondered this. “Several lessons, I guess. Several very narrowly applicable lessons.”</p><p>Elsa chuckled. “Oh, the lives we lead.” She leaned in close.</p>
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